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Nature provides park assets

Posted 7/30/15

The Times’ series celebrating Parks and Recreation Month in Fountain Hills will close out this week with a look at some of the town’s other recreational assets.

Along the western edge of town …

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Nature provides park assets

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The Times’ series celebrating Parks and Recreation Month in Fountain Hills will close out this week with a look at some of the town’s other recreational assets.

Along the western edge of town the McDowell Mountains stretch up to near 3,000 feet and holds the Fountain Hills McDowell Sonoran Preserve, nearly 1,000 acres of pristine Sonoran Desert land within the town limits held for all to enjoy long into the future.

There are more than nine miles of hiking trails in the Preserve all built by hand by volunteers. The trails provide views of Fountain Hills, the Lower Verde Valley, Superstition and Mazatzal (Four Peaks) mountain ranges, as well as spectacular views into Mesa and Scottsdale in the Valley.

Preserve access is currently limited by construction of the Adero Canyon subdivision. Hikers must use the Dixie Mine and Sonoran trails out of McDowell Mountain Regional Park to reach the Preserve – the long way around.

However, upon completion of Adero Canyon infrastructure there will be vehicle access to a new trailhead that will be the gateway to Preserve trails and for more than 100 miles of trails in the Scottsdale Sonoran Preserve, McDowell Mountain Park and Tonto National Forest.

For those looking to commune with nature just yards from residential neighborhoods there is the Fountain Hills Desert Botanical Garden.

The educational and hiking destination was originally established in 1975 and suffered from disrepair and neglect until a group of citizens, including some of the original founders, set out to restore it.

It reopened in 2006 right off Fountain Hills Boulevard at Emerald Wash as a desert garden with historical significance.

A half-mile trail meanders through the desert with signs identifying vegetation and boulders that offer a unique seclusion from nearby neighborhoods.

There is also a stone dam built by ranchers in the 1940s as a site to water cattle and attract wildlife.

For those who like their hiking on city/town streets the town is developing a series of Urban FIT trails that circle downtown and neighborhood areas.

The initial Urban trail was the Civic Center Trail covering about three miles around the boundaries of the downtown area. The trails pass down busy streets, around churches and schools and through pristine washes providing hikers/walkers with a variety of experience while getting good exercise.

A third in the series of Urban Trails in Fountain Hills is scheduled to open later this year.

Those wanting a little more exercise without straying too far from civilization can try out the Lake Overlook Trail that begins and ends in Fountain Park extending up over the hillside north and east of the park. It’s a great workout and there are great views from the Overlook Trail.